Stockton Municipal Code Art. XIX Budget and Fiscal Affairs: Fiscal Authority

The City of Stockton shall have the power to make and enforce all ordinances and regulations in respect to the conduct of the fiscal affairs of the City, subject only to the restrictions and limitations provided in this Charter, the Constitution of the State of California, and the Constitution of the United States.

(Added Election 10/9/73 effective 1/17/74; Repealed and added Election 11/8/94 effective 5/22/95; Repealed and Added Election 03/07/2000 Effective 01/01/2001)

The fiscal year of the City of Stockton shall commence upon the first day of July of each year or such other time as may be fixed by ordinance.

(Added Election 10/9/73 effective 1/17/74; Repealed and added Election 11/8/94 effective 5/22/95; Repealed and Added Election 03/07/2000 Effective 01/01/2001)

* See Historical Notes at beginning of Article.

The City shall, by ordinance, provide a system for the assessment, levy and collection of all City taxes.

(Added Election 10/9/73 effective 1/17/74; Repealed and added Election 11/8/94 effective 5/22/95)

The Council shall adopt a reserve policy intended to prudently protect the fiscal solvency of the City.

(Added Election 10/9/73 effective 1/17/74; Repealed and added Election 11/8/94 effective 5/22/95; Repealed and Added Election 03/07/2000 Effective 01/01/2001; Amended Election 11/8/16 effective 12/3/16)

The City Manager shall submit to the Council a five year economic forecast of expenditures and revenues for the City's General Fund, Enterprise Funds and significant operating funds. The five year economic forecast shall be provided at least annually.

(Added Election 10/9/73 effective 1/17/74; Repealed and added Election 11/8/94 effective 5/22/95; Repealed and Added Election 03/07/2000 Effective 01/01/2001; Amended Election 11/8/16 effective 12/3/16)

Not later than May 15th of the prior fiscal year, the City Manager shall prepare and present to the Council a proposed annual budget of recommended expenditures and appropriations for the next fiscal year necessary to support city operations within available resources.

The proposed annual budget shall include anticipated revenues, projected expenditures, transfers for each fund and/or department, proposed capital improvement plan, proposed fee schedule and projected current year annualized financial activity for comparability.

The total proposed expenditures shall not exceed the total of estimated income, estimated unencumbered balances of funds to be carried over from the preceding year and unencumbered available reserves.

(Amended Election 11/8/16 effective 12/3/16)

The Proposed Annual Budget as submitted by the City Manager shall be filed and available for inspection by the public in the office of the City Clerk and on the City's accessible website for at least 10 days prior to a public hearing to adopt the Annual Budget. The notice of hearing shall state the time and place of the hearing.

Following the public hearing, the Council shall adopt the Annual Budget with such revisions, if any, as it may deem desirable.

In the event the Council shall fail to adopt the budget by the beginning of the fiscal year, the various amounts proposed in the Proposed Annual budget shall be deemed appropriated until the Council adopts a budget for the fiscal year.

(Amended Election 11/8/16 effective 12/3/16)

At any public Council meeting after the adoption of The Annual Budget, the Council may take action to increase or decrease the operating budget by resolution amending the budget by a majority of affirmative votes of the members.

No part of any appropriation shall be transferred from one fund to another fund unless authorized by the City Council.

No member of the Council, officer, department or agency of the City, during any budget year, shall expend or incur any obligation to expend money not authorized by or in excess of the amounts appropriated in the budget.

Except as otherwise provided in this Charter or where the Council may have, by resolution, provided for the continuance of an appropriation beyond the end of the fiscal year, all appropriations approved by the City Council shall lapse at the end of the fiscal year to the extent they shall not have been expended or encumbered, except for appropriations for capital and grant projects which shall continue to their completion unless a different rule has been established by action of the Council.

(Amended Election 11/8/16 effective 12/3/16)

The City Manager shall have the responsibility and authority to implement and administer the Annual Budget and Capital Improvement Plan as approved by the Council and maintained by regulations, ordinances, and operating procedures, and shall advise the Council of the financial condition and future needs of the City.

(Amended Election 11/8/16 effective 12/3/16)

As soon as practical after the close of the fiscal year, an annual financial statement shall be prepared in sufficient detail to show the financial condition of the City's funds for the preceding fiscal year. Such annual financial statement shall be prepared in accordance with generally accepted accounting principles.

(Amended Election 11/8/16 effective 12/3/16)

As soon as practical after the close of the fiscal year, an annual audit shall be made of the City's funds. Such audit shall be made by a firm of independent certified public accountants selected using Audit Committee recommendation and approved by the City Council. The audit shall be made in accordance with generally accepted audit standards for audits of public agencies.

The auditor shall have free access to the books, records, inventories and reports of the City. The audit shall be submitted as soon as practical after the closing of the books for the fiscal year for which the auditor is engaged by City Council. The audit shall be placed on file with the City Clerk and on the City's accessible website where they shall be available for inspection by the general public.

(Amended Election 11/8/16 effective 12/3/16)

There shall be, and there is hereby established, a Council Salary Setting Commission. The following provisions shall be applicable thereto:

(a) Membership: The Council Salary Setting Commission shall consist of five members appointed by the Civil Service Commission. Members must be qualified electors of the City at all times during their term of office.

(b) Terms of Office: Except as provided herein below, the regular term of office of each member of the Council Salary Setting Commission shall be four years. The initial members of the Council Salary Setting Commission shall be appointed by the Civil Service Commission during the month of June 2000. Two of the members so appointed shall be appointed for a term expiring on December 31, 2002. Three of the members so appointed shall be appointed for a term expiring on December 31, 2004. Commencing in December 2002, the Civil Service Commission shall, during the month of December of each even-numbered year, make appointments to fill the offices of the members whose terms are expiring at the end of such even-numbered years. Such appointments shall be for regular terms of four years commencing on the first day of January of the following odd-numbered year and expiring on the thirty-first day of December of the second even-numbered year thereafter.

(c) Vacancies: The Civil Service Commission may remove a member from office at any time for misconduct, inefficiency or willful neglect in the performance of the duties of his or her office providing it first states in writing the reasons for such removal and gives such member an opportunity to be heard before the Civil Service Commission in his or her own defense. If a vacancy occurs before the expiration of a member's term, the Civil Service Commission shall appoint a qualified person to fill such vacancy for the remainder of the unexpired term of such member.

(d) Powers and Duties: The Council Salary Setting Commission shall biennially make recommendations respecting salaries for members of the Council, including the Mayor, as provided in Charter Section 410.

(Amended Election 11/8/16 effective 12/3/16)